Bottle filler



C. A. NAMUR pril I6, 1940.

BOTTLE FILLER Filed oct. 2o, 1957 nSlrleetrs-Sheei'. 1

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BOTTLE FILLER I Filed 0G12. 2Q, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 V 3 50 m i E lg'2? /2 u MJ) 35 ununnnjiwgf f C. A. NAMUR April 16, 1940.

BOTTLE FILLER Filed oct. 2o. 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' 9 T, w53 smym f, mi]@m N Patented Apr. 16, 1940 *UNITED stares BOTTLE FILLER Carl A. Namur,Kenosha, Wis.,

assignor to Specialty Brass Company, Incorporated, Kenosha, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Application October 20, 1937, Serial No.170,104

\ 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a bottle filler and the apparatus isespecially useful in connection with a milk bottle lling machine. Otheruses will be obvious. y

An object of the invention is to provide a bottle filler of simpleconstruction by which milk bottles and the like can be readily filledwithout overlling and without any drippage of liquids from the valve,the valve mechanism functioning l04 automatically in the release of airfrom the bottle as the bottles are filled, then sealing the bottleagainst overlling, and then permitting the inrush of air to release thevacuum after the bottle is lled Other .specific objects and advan- 15-tages will appear as the specification proceeds. The invention isillustrated, in a preferred ernbodiment, by `the accompanying drawings,in

whichy y Figure 1 is a broken vertical sectional View of 20A anapparatus embodying my invention, the valve being shown in closedposition; Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse sectional View illustrating adetail of the apparatus; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. l

but showing the air valve in open position; Fig. f

4, a'bottom plan view of the valve structure, the View being taken asindicated at line t of Fig. 3; and` Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. l butshowing the valve in fully opened position.

In the illustration given, A designates a milk 3Q.. vat or tank equippedwith the usual inner lining A', the tank being a part of a lling machineand normally equipped with a number of discharge valves. For the purposeof description,

it is believed unnecessary to describe, however,

35.. but one valve, As shown in the drawings, the tank A is providedwith an opening Ill in whichis threadedly secured a sleeve II, the lowerportion of the sleeve being engaged by a nut I2.

Slidably supported within the sleeve II is a Lills: hollow valve sternI3 which is provided at an intermediate position with oppositelyarranged inletyopenings I4. `Above the inlet openings I4 eX- tends aseat portion l5 which seals the openings from the interior of the tankwhen the valve stem 45'; is in the closed position illustrated in Figs.l and 2. The valve stem is equipped at its lower end with a flange I6equipped with four ears II having inwardly extending lug portions Ill.yThe stem isalso provided on its inner side with an inwardly extendinglia-nge I9 providing a constricted outlet. At its upper end, the valvestem I3 is provided with a cylindrical extension 2li provided interiorlywithaseat 2l in which is supported a 55washer 22,.,v `Acotter pin 23extends through the cylindrical extension 20 an air tube 24.

The air tube 24 is provided at its lower end with outwardly ared sides25 which engage the ends of the flange I9 of the valve stern I3 so as toeffectively seal the lower end of the valve stem I3. At its upper end,the air tube is provided with oppcsitely disposed rectangular air spaces26. As shown more clearly in Fig, 1, the air tube 24, when the valve isin closed position as shown in Fig. 1, has its upper end spaced belowthe top of the vat and can therefore move freely upward with the valvestem for a limited distance.

An air valve plug 2l is normally supported in fixed position so as toseal the air tube 24 when it is in lowermost position.. Thefrustoconical plug `is carried by the valve plug stem 28 secured to acro-ss strip 29 with which the tank A is equippedy by spring means whichnormally maintains the plug in fixed positionbut which, in case ofemergency, permits a yielding of the plug so as to prevent injury to themachine or to a bottle caught thereunder. The upper end of the'stem 28is secured in an enlarged plug 3B by means of short pins 3|; The upperend of the plug 3l] is apertured to receive an end portion 32 of aspring 33, the other end of theA spring 33 being passed through yanaperture 34within a tting 35 carried by the cross piece 29. By thismeans, the stem 2B is normally held in'xedvposition so that plug 21 doesnot move. `In the case of an accident. however, where a bottle should bethrust against the plug, the plug is permitted to yield, thus protectingthe bottle and the' apparatus. K

In order to effect a seal with the bottle an also to provide means foribreaking the vacuum created when the bottle is about to be withdrawnfrom the filler, I prefer to provide a resilient sealing member 36 yforenclosure within the space provided by the ears Il and flange I6. Theannular sealing member 36.01? rubber or other suitable material ispreferably provided with a tapered inner lip member 3l which follows theflange portion I9 of the valve stem I3 and also provides a chamber 38between the seal and the flange I6. The chamber 38 provides a space forreceiving air which may be released to break the vacuum when the bottleis to be removed. It will be noted Vthat the seal 36 is suspended uponthe ear portions I8 and is moved upward against the flange IE whenengaged by a bottle 39. A-coil spring 40 is located between flange I6and the nut I2 and tends to urge the valve stem I3 downwardly to theclosed position shown in Fig. 1.

, In the operation ofthe device, a bottle 39 is and frictionally engagessupported upon the usual platform provided in a filler machine, and theplatform is raised so as to press the upper open end of the bottle neckagainst the seal 36. Prior to the engagement of the seal 36 with thebottle 39, the valve parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the plug2l sealing the lower end of the air tube 24 and the ared mouth 25 of theair tube closing the lower constricted end of the valve stem I3.Engagement with the bottle 39 causes the seal 36 to be lifted againstthe ange I6 and the valve stem I3 is raised to the position shown inFig. 3, the air tube 24 being raised also because of its frictionalengagement with cotter pin 23, thus opening the air tube at its lowerend. Air may now pass from the bottle freely through the tube 24 and outthrough the apertures 2G at the top of the tube. In this position, itwill -be noted that the upper end of the air tube 24 has now struck thespring arm 32 which prevents further upward movement of the air tube,Continued upper pressure by the bottle causes the valve stem I3 to leavethe lower flared end 25 of the air tube and to reach the fully openedposition shown in Fig. 5. In this position, the liquid within the tank Amay pass through the openings I4 into the interior of the stem I3,thence outwardly through the open end of the stem into the bottle.

. If the platform remains raised sufficiently long enough, the bottle isfilled. If it remains raised only a short time, the bottle will bepartially iilled. In normal practice, the platform remains raised longenough to fill a pint bottle, but only long enough to half fill a quartbottle. In the case of a quart bottle, the platform either raises thesame bottle to the same valve or moves it to a second valve of similarconstruction to complete the iilling. Overfilling is prevented byengagement of the bottle neck with the seal 3S which confines the liquidwithin thevalve stem and the bottle.

In the upward movement of the bottle, the seal 36 is first pressedagainst the flange It while still providing a chamber 38 which is opento the interior of the bottle. However, as the bottle is moved upwardlyto the position shown in Fig..5, the lip 3l of the seal36 is pressedtightly against the flange I9. 'I'his pressure serves to close thechamber 38, substantially sealing the chamber and the air containedtherein from communication with the interior of the bottle.. Normallywhen the bottles are filled in filling machines, a certain amount ofvacuum is created in the bottle top, this vacuum being sufficient if nomeans of breaking it were provided, to cause the bottles to adheretightly to the ller valve or seal. In the present case, when the bottleis being withdrawn, the lip 3l of the seal 36 permits the air withinchamber 38 to be released and this serves to break the vacuum, thuspermitting the bottle to break away cleanly from the seal 36.

It will be observed that the timing of the valve can be modifiedconsiderably by changing the length of the tube 24, thus increasing ordecreasing the distance between the top of the tube and the spring 32.Also, the length of the seat I5can be-modified so as to hasten orretardy the lling of the stem I3. In the operation of the valve, theoating valve 3B serves to completely seal the stem `with the bottle soas to prevent overfilling of the bottle while at the same timepreventing any drippage of liquid from the valve while the bottles arebeing changed or,

in factl at anytimewhilethe valve is in closed position.

The spring 33, -Wliile ordinarily maintaining the stem 28 and plug 21 ina xed position relative to the air tube and valve stem, permits upwardmovement of the stem 28 and plug 21 in case of accidental misplacementof bottles, etc. so as to prevent injury thereto and to the fillerapparatus.

While in the description given, I have shown but a single filler valve,it will be understood that the lller tank A will be ordinarily equippedwith a number of such valves and that also platform means of regular andknown construction will be employed for raising and lowering the bottlesand rotating them to bring them under various valves, this apparatusbeing old and well known in the art and no detailed description thereofbeing necessary.

While in the specification given, I have shown a single valve structurein detail for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood thatthe principles disclosed with respect to such structure may be embodiedin different forms without departing from the spirit of my invention.foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly aspermissible, in View of the prior art.

I claim:

l. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, ahollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having aperturesadapted to communicate with said tank when the stem is raised, meansclosing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passingthrough said last mentioned means and frictionally engaged thereby, saidtube being supported for a limited vertical movement, means carried bysaid air tube for closing the lower end of said valve stem when thelatter is in lowermost position, and resiliently supported means fornormally closing said air tube when in lowermost position.

2. In combination with a valve stem equipped at its lower end with aflange, a resilient seal supported by said ange and providing therewithan air chamber closed from communication with the interior of a bottleapplied to said seal, said resilient seal having a lip portion adaptedto yield under the weight of said bottle to open the contents of saidchamber into communication with the interior of the bottle. y

3. In combination with a hollow valve stem equipped at its lower endwith a flange, means for breaking the vacuum within said stem when abottle is withdrawn therefrom, said means comprising a resilient sealproviding with said flange an air chamber closed from communication withthe interior of said stem and having a tapered lip portion adapted toyield when said bottle is partially removed to open said chamber intocommunication with said stem.

4. In combination with a liquid tank provided with a discharge sleeve, ahollow valve stem guided therein and provided at its' lowerv end with aflange, an air vtube within said sleeve, substantially fixed means forclosing the end of said tube at its lowermost position,v means carriedby said air vent tube for closing said Valve stem when in lowermostposition, and a flexible re'- silient seal adapted to be engaged by theneck of a bottle and providing with said flange an air chamber 'closedfrom communication With the interior of the bottle, said seal serving toopen said chamber when tension is exerted thereon by the partialwithdrawal of said bottle.

5. In combination with a liquid tank provided The Cil

with a sleeve equipped discharge opening, a holu low valve stem guidedin said sleeve, a fixed plugr stern supported in said sleeve', a plugcarried by said plug stem and normally closing said air tube when thelatter is in lowermost position, said air tube also serving to closesaid valve stem, a flange carried by said valve stem, inwardly extendingears supported in spaced relation by said valve stem, a movablysupportedresilient seal extending about said valve stem and movably supported bysaid ears, said seal being cut away to provide an air chamber closedfrom the interior of a bottle applied to said seal between it and saidflange, and spring means normally urging said valve stem towardlowermost position.

6. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, ahollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having aperturesadapted to communicate with said tank when the stern is raised, meansclosing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passingthrough said last mentioned means, said tube being supported for alimited vertical movement, means carried by said air tube for closingthe lower end of said valve stem when the latter is in lowermostposition, and means for normally closing said air tube when in lowermostposition.

7. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, ahollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having aperturesadapted to communicate with said tank when the stem is raised, meansclosing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passingthrough said last mentioned means and connected therewith for relativemovement, said tube being supported for a limited vertical movement,means carried by said air tube for closing the lower end of said valvestem when the latter is in lowermost position, and means for normallyclosing said air tube when in lowermost position.

lowermost position.

9. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, ahollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having aperturesadapted to communicate with said tank when the stem is raised, meansclosing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passingthrough said last mentioned means, means carried by said air tube forclosing the lower end of said valve stem when the latter is in lowermostposition, and means for normally closing said air tube when in lowermostposition.

CARL A. NAMUR.

